Zelenskiy / Official

I held a Staff meeting. Several topics were on the agenda, but the most important was deep strikes – our long-range capabilities. The things that truly affect Russia’s war potential and noticeably reduce it. Today, we had both the manufacturers of our respective weapons – at the Staff meeting – and those who use these weapons: the Armed Forces, special services, and intelligence. The main task is to scale up our long-range Ukrainian sanctions capabilities. We have the capacity to do so, and a joint discussion of all parties together is very helpful.We have also already prepared our part of the homework ahead of the meeting with President Trump – both the military component and the economic one. Every detail, everything is ready. The agenda of our meeting with the President of the United States is very substantive, and I thank everyone who is helping. This can truly bring the war closer to an end – it is the United States that can wield this kind of global influence, and we are doing everything to ensure that others around the world stand on our side in this effort.Right now, our team – the Prime Minister of Ukraine, the Head of the Office of the President, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, other Government officials, and the Ukrainian Ambassador – is already in Washington. They began holding meetings at their level and preparing the groundwork for the dialogue with the U.S. leader, as well as with American defense companies, including air defense manufacturers, and representatives of energy companies. Our representatives have already reported today – I thank them for this work.

Today, I signed several new sanction decisions, covering various areas of our sanctions.The first extends sanctions that were due to expire. This concerns Russian entrepreneurs and their ties to Putin’s system.The second decree targets the Russian military industry – specifically, manufacturers of drones and components.The third decree imposes our sanctions on individuals and companies connected to the Russian oil sector.We continue our comprehensive policy of pressure on Russia, and we will keep coordinating it with our partners. Many of Ukraine's initiatives are already forming the basis for our partners' sanctions. We expect our sanctions to be synchronized with those of our partners. We also look forward to new EU sanctions – the 19th package – and corresponding steps from the United States.Russia ignores or rebuffs literally every opportunity that would enable us to end the war and guarantee security. Putin wants to wage it and do it in exactly this way – by terrorist methods, despicable methods. Russia must feel the consequences. Europe, America, the G7, and the G20 have the power to deal with any terrorist. And they will.I thank everyone who is helping defend lives.Glory to Ukraine!

Європа має припинити будь-який імпорт російських нафти й газу. Усі ці гроші Росія витрачає виключно на війну. Ми не бачимо зростання соціальної підтримки в Росії, значить, усі ці гроші витрачають на війну. Якщо буде дефіцит із цими грошима на війну, буде зменшення соціальної підтримки в Росії людей. Якщо буде зменшення соціальної підтримки, люди будуть незадоволені. І буде незадоволене, відповідно, керівництво Росії. Як свідчить історія, Росія завжди змінювалася через голодні бунти. Тому, безумовно, вони цього бояться.Так, є ризики, інша логістика може бути дорожчою. Але треба знайти вихід і зупинити купівлю російських енергоресурсів. І в цьому я підтримую США безумовно, і Україна готова допомогти Європі.Це має бути комплексне рішення: не тільки енергетика, але й тіньовий флот, але й у принципі зупинка можливості Росії торгувати, експортувати морем ті чи інші товари. Це також важливий вихід – зменшувати економіку. Тіньовий флот, банківська сфера, енергоресурси – мають бути повні санкції, без винятків.

This week has brought us closer to finalizing the 19th sanctions package against Russian aggression; we expect its approval soon. We will quickly synchronize the package in Ukraine. Russia’s energy resources are being restricted. As well as the infrastructure of the shadow fleet – it will face new pressure. Cryptocurrency schemes used by Russia specifically to bypass sanctions will also be countered by Europe.I am grateful that many of Ukraine’s proposals have been taken into account in the EU sanctions package. We are constantly working on this with every one of our partners, and of course, above all with the European Union and the Group of Seven. We now expect strong sanction steps from the United States as well – Europe is doing its part.Today, I also signed decrees imposing new Ukrainian sanctions. Three packages were signed. In particular, against propagandists helping Russia; against individuals doing business in occupied territories and feeding Russia’s budget, sustaining this system of evil; and against those destabilizing Moldova in Moscow’s interest. Ukraine is helping Moldova, and we are invested in the stability of our neighbor – in Moldova’s success.

I want to especially thank all our warriors today who are inflicting truly significant losses on Russia. Losses at the front. Losses along the border. Losses on Russia’s own territory thanks to our long-range strikes. The most effective sanctions – the ones that work the fastest – are the fires at Russia’s oil refineries, its terminals, oil depots. We have significantly restricted Russia’s oil industry, and this significantly restricts the war. Russia’s war is essentially a function of oil, of gas, of all its other energy resources. I thank the special forces of the Security Service of Ukraine, who did a great job in Primorsk recently, hitting Russia’s largest oil terminal on the Baltic Sea. There is substantial damage; everything has been verified. And this is tangible for the enemy. Our special forces are also keeping an eye on the port of Ust-Luga and all other Russian points of access to the world market. Today, the Security Service of Ukraine’s drones are capable of operating at distances of more than a thousand kilometres. The Special Operations Forces, the Unmanned Systems Forces, the Foreign Intelligence Service, and the Defense Intelligence are also involved. I thank them all for their accuracy.

Today, the Russians carried out a horrendous strike on the village of Yarova in the Donetsk region – a strike with a guided aerial bomb. The Russians knew full well what they were targeting, and they clearly saw that they were hitting civilians. These were ordinary people who were collecting their pensions. As of now, 24 people have been confirmed killed. My condolences. Another 19 were wounded. All of them are receiving the necessary assistance. And this is only one strike out of many that the Russians launch every day against Ukrainians – against our people, against our state. Russians continue to kill – and it is terrifying that there is still no strong enough response to it from global actors. This is precisely what Putin sees as permission to continue the war – if there is no strong pressure, if there are no decisive actions in response. Russia’s economy and the Russian state must feel pain every time they kill, every time they strike like this.Without new sanctions, there will be no progress in diplomacy and in all efforts to end this war. And time matters. For far too long, there has been no strengthening of pressure on Russia that would hit the Russian war machine directly, tangibly and without delay – precisely the sectors and industries that fuel aggression. Delayed economic effects do not work – the Russians prove this every time with new strikes.

Today, I held a Staff meeting – focused primarily on technological issues. The stock of air defense systems and missiles for them, the production schedule, the delivery schedule. The protection of Ukraine’s critical infrastructure – above all, the energy sector. The Russians are once again concentrating strikes on our energy facilities. Of course, we have responses to this and will continue to respond, but the main priority is the stability of the system. There were reports on our drone production – their quality and production volumes. I am grateful to all the manufacturers who are ramping up supplies, including long-range weapons. There were also reports from the military today – on the frontline and the supply for our forces. The greatest attention is paid to the Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia regions. Constant Russian strikes continue against Kherson. Intense active combat also continues in the border areas of the Sumy region. I am grateful to each of our units for their resilience and for destroying the occupier.

Right now, in our cities – Kyiv, Sumy, and other cities and communities – assistance is being provided to the wounded after the Russian strike. The geography of the attacks over the past day includes Kyiv, Sumy, Kremenchuk, Odesa, Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, and Zaporizhzhia. In Kyiv, the rubble is still being cleared – there may still be bodies beneath it. The Cabinet of Ministers building has been damaged. As of now, more than forty people have been reported injured across the country, 20 of them in Kyiv. My condolences to the families and loved ones of those killed. In the capital alone, the air raid alert lasted for more than seven and a half hours. Kyiv was one of the main targets for Russian drones. It is important that today we saw a broad response from our partners to this strike. Clearly, Russia is trying to inflict pain on Ukraine with even more brazen attacks. This is a clear sign that Putin is testing the world – whether they will accept or tolerate this. That is why it is important that the statements of leaders, states, and institutions be backed by strong actions – sanctions against Russia, against individuals associated with Russia, tough tariffs and other restrictions on trade with Russia. Their losses must be felt. That is what is truly convincing. And also – our long-range capabilities. Putin does not want negotiations, he is clearly hiding from them, so Russia’s fuel shortages and other economic troubles are the logical response to its refusal to agree to a ceasefire or a meeting at the leaders’ level.

Увесь день на кількох локаціях у Києві тривали рятувальні роботи – розбирали завали після російського удару. Це був один із найбільших ударів. Було майже 600 дронів, 31 ракета, у тому числі балістичні. Станом на цей час відомо про 19 загиблих у Києві, із них чотири дитини. Мої співчуття всім рідним та близьким. Цей удар чітко демонструє, що російські цілі дійсно не змінилися. Вони хочуть воювати, б’ють не тільки по наших людях, не тільки по наших містах, громадах. Росія зараз завдає ударів по всім у світі, хто прагне миру. Це удар по Україні. Це удар по Європі. Також це удар Росії по Президенту Трампу, по інших глобальних суб’єктах. У Вашингтоні ми чули, що Путін начебто готовий до закінчення війни – до зустрічі на рівні лідерів та вирішення ключових питань. Але він обирає балістику замість будь-яких реальних кроків до миру. Він убиває дітей, щоб не говорити про те, коли і як буде мир. Проблема в тому, що він не боїться ось так бити по тим лідерам, яким він щось обіцяє. Потрібна чітка відповідь світу на це зло. Немає дедлайнів, які б Путін не зірвав. Немає таких дипломатичних можливостей, які не були б зіпсовані через Росію. Потрібні сильні кроки. Дякую всім, хто це розуміє. Потрібні санкції. Потрібні тарифи на тих, хто спонсорує цю війну.

I have just spoken with Olha Stefanishyna, now Ukraine’s new Ambassador to the United States of America. The formal procedures are complete – today I signed the decree appointing her as Ambassador. I outlined the key tasks for reinvigorating the work of our Embassy, and the main thing is to fully implement all the agreements reached in Washington – our agreements with President Trump, above all in the defense sphere. Much of Ukraine’s long-term security depends on relations with America. There are two Ukrainian proposals on the table – strong proposals. These are: an agreement on weapons for Ukraine and an agreement on modern drones for the United States. And we count on swift progress in our relations. I am grateful to Oksana Markarova. Oksana represented Ukraine in Washington throughout all these years of the full-scale war – a very difficult mission. And Ukraine was always heard in the United States. I want to thank her for this work. We have already spoken about further cooperation, and I invited Oksana Markarova to remain part of the team – to continue working for Ukraine.